When former Northwestern offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson left Evanston for Oklahoma in December, the Wildcats lost one of the authors of their lauded spread offense.

But Wilson’s exit wasn’t out of the blue, least of all from the perspective of NU coach Randy Walker.

“I knew if we ever lost Kevin Wilson, which we did this year, (new offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar would) be a great replacement,” Walker said Tuesday. “A great thing in life is anticipation. I kind of anticipated what was going to happen on that one. So it worked out well.”

Wilson and Walker implemented the spread after the 1999 season, helping to elevate a football program that had sunk to the bottom of the Big Ten. The Cats went on to share the 2000 conference title, breaking team records for total yards with 5,615 and points with 441.

Wilson stayed for just one more year – the disappointing 2001 season, when the Cats went 4-7. He now serves as the Sooners’ offensive line coach and run game coordinator.

Walker hired Dunbar before the 2001 season as the tight ends, H-backs and special teams coach, allowing the former head coach at Central Washington and Northern Iowa to get a year in the Big Ten under his belt before his promotion to offensive coordinator.

Said Dunbar: “Cold turkey would have been tough.”

MISSING THE ACTION: Wide receiver Ashton Aikens won’t be seeing time on the field for the rest of spring. But he will be seeing a lot of the team trainer.

The sophomore broke a bone in his foot prior to the start of spring practices. The injury appeared minor at first, but X-rays have since revealed a fracture.

Despite the injury, Walker isn’t worried about the Cats’ ability to prepare for both the April 27 purple-white scrimmage and the 2002 season.

“Actually, we’re doing pretty well in terms of health in the spring,” Walker said. “It’s disappointing for Ashton.

“But if there’s one position (where) we feel like we have some depth, we have some depth at wide receiver. It will give some of the young guys, like Jonathan Fields, a guy I’m who I’m really excited about … more reps.”

Last season, Aikens caught 12 passes, averaged 8.8 yards per reception and hauled in one touchdown.

Junior running back Torri Stuckey will also sit out for about a week with a quadriceps injury.

Stuckey and six other running backs are vying for the running back position vacated by Damien Anderson.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE: With the graduation of starters Billy Silva and Kevin Bentley, the linebacker corps will be seeing some new blood this year.

The one remaining starter from last season, senior Pat Durr, is slated to move from outside linebacker to the middle during the spring. Durr played middle linebacker in high school but switched to the outside at NU because of Silva’s hold on the middle position.

Durr described middle linebacker as “the quarterback of the defense,” adding that the Cats’ new defensive system highlights the importance of the ground game.

“It’s a run-stopping defense,” Durr said, “which we’ve been weak at the past couple of years. We have a great core of what I call ‘the big butts’ in the middle.”

But linebackers coach Pat Fitzgerald, a two-time national Defensive Player of the Year for the Cats, said not even Durr’s starting position is guaranteed for the fall.

“I wouldn’t say anyone has a starting job locked in,” Fitzgerald said. “Everybody has to earn their job. I think we have a long way to go.”

Durr said he was comfortable with the uncertainty of the defense.

“They told us from day one that whether you’re a senior or a walk-on or a freshman, it doesn’t matter,” Durr said. “Everyone’s fighting for a job. I like that, though.

“Most seniors walk in thinking, ‘I’m going to walk right into a starting job.’ I’d rather have that pressure on me everyday that if I don’t don’t do well there’s a possibility of falling to second string.”

GREAT OUTDOORS: Walker hopes to hold practice outside today for the first time this spring, and the coach has scheduled an outdoor scrimmage for Saturday.

“It’s just a different atmosphere,” Durr said of practicing outside. “It feels like gameday. It should be nasty, just a battle.”